When Will Austin Ekeler Return and Be Back? Fantasy Football Injury Update for Week 14 (2024)

Austin Ekeler (concussion) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, a move that wasn’t entirely unexpected given his history with concussions.

This most recent injury marks his second concussion of the 2024 season, with the Week 12 hit taking him out of action. Throughout his career, Ekeler has had some concerns with head injuries, so this development only adds to the uncertainty around his availability for the rest of the year.

As a result, Ekeler won’t be eligible to return until Week 18, which is just in time for the NFL playoffs but far too late for most fantasy leagues. T

his effectively ends his fantasy season, leaving managers without one of their top contributors for the crucial playoff stretch. Given his injury history and the timing of his return, fantasy owners will need to pivot and find other options to fill the void left by the star running back.

4 Running Backs you can drop in fantasy football:

• Kareem Hunt
• Austin Ekeler
• Jerome Ford
• JK Dobbins

— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) December 2, 2024

Austin Ekeler can be safely dropped in fantasy leagues after being placed on injured reserve, as he won’t be eligible to return until Week 18 at the earliest.

With most fantasy leagues ending their playoffs before that point, holding onto Ekeler offers little to no value. While he has been one of the top running backs in recent seasons, his injury has effectively ended his fantasy campaign for the year.

Managers should prioritize roster spots for healthy players who can contribute during the critical playoff weeks, and since Ekeler’s return would be too late to make an impact, dropping him is the logical move for most fantasy teams.

Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes 🙏🏽 Good luck to the boys out there today. #HTTC pic.twitter.com/Y3GDcPmRjP

— Austin Ekeler (@AustinEkeler) December 1, 2024